Especean

Wellbeing - Whole School

Bullying No Way: National Week of Action

This year at the College, we are participating in the Bullying No Way: National Week of Action, from 11 to 15 August 2025.

Bullying No Way Week is a commitment being made by thousands of schools and supporters across the country. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to bullying prevention. It gives us an opportunity to connect with students, staff and school communities to implement workable solutions to prevent bullying.

The theme for 2025 is 'Be bold. Be kind. Speak up.'

It takes courage to spark change.

 

Bullying is everyone's responsibility. It takes a community to be brave in developing a culture of respect and addressing bullying behaviours, within and beyond the school gate.

 

Students can be bold and kind, taking a stand to support those being bullied. While parents/carers and teachers are there to support children and young people learn how to behave in a positive way.

 

In our community and in our school, we want a place where everyone can belong, a place that celebrates everyone, and where bullying is never accepted.

 

This Bullying No Way Week, we're asking students, schools, families and communities to be bold and say something, be kind and support someone, and be proud to take a stand against bullying.

 

During the week, and in particular our PCL’s this coming Friday, we will be engaging students in meaningful discussions and activities aimed at promoting empathy, understanding, and respect for diversity. We encourage parents and carers to take this opportunity to have open and honest conversations with their children about the importance of respectful relationships, the impact of bullying and what they can do if they need support.

 

You can also access the College’s Bullying Prevention Policy in the College Diary to learn more about our process for preventing and responding to bullying. As such, if you are concerned your son is being bullied, please contact your son’s Year Coordinator in the first instance. Every opportunity we get, we promote the importance of accepting everyone and the links to our touchstones, primarily in this instance, “inclusive community”.

 

For more information about Bullying No Way Week and bullying prevention, visit the Bullying No Way website.

Advice on Supporting Teens with Changes to Social Media Platform Access 

Source: Safe on Social 8/8/25 Preparing Teens for Under-16 Social Media Ban

 

Many of you will be aware of the changes being implemented by the Australian government in response to growing global concerns about online harms on major social media platforms; they will need to have age-verification measures to restrict access for users under 16 from accessing these platforms in Australia by the end of this year. 

 

Without preparation, teens risk losing access to connections, content, or communities they love, with little notice. 

 

The Safe on Social team offer the following advice to help plan with your child, not just for them, preserving their agency, digital memory, and online wellbeing. 

 

1. Map Their Online World 

Sit down with your teen and suggest they do a quick audit of their digital presence: 

  • What platforms do they use daily? 

  • Which chats, groups, or creators are most important to them? 

  • What digital spaces help them feel seen, supported, or inspired? 

Use this as a respectful, non-judgmental starting point. 

 

2. Create Safe, Private Chat Alternatives

Help teens stay connected with trusted friends by: 

  • Creating group chats on age-appropriate platforms with parental visibility. This is a great opportunity to discuss the basics of cyber safety again.

  • Setting ground rules together for respectful use (e.g., no screenshots, no forwarding without consent). - Encouraging smaller, opt-in friend circles over large open groups. 

3. Back Up Digital Memories 

Many teens store important photos, videos, or messages within apps that they might lose access to. Encourage them to: 

  • Download or screenshot meaningful chats, photos, or creative content. 

  • Create a secure offline folder or shared cloud drive where they can preserve this material. 

  • Treat digital memory like emotional memory—it matters. 

4. Follow Creators Safely Off-Platform

If your teens follow supportive influencers or identity-affirming content: 

  • Check if the creator has a newsletter, blog or podcast that’s safe and age compliant. 

  • Subscribe together, using a parent-controlled email if appropriate. 

  • Encourage them to keep a short list of “good spaces” they want to continue engaging with—safely, responsibly, and with boundaries. 

5. Set Up a Family Re-Entry Plan 

Prepare for re-entry at 16: 

  • Discuss what "readiness" looks like: emotional maturity, digital literacy, algorithmic literacy, and privacy skills. 

  • Consider using this in-between time to build stronger media literacy habits: fact-checking, blocking/reporting, resisting pressure to overshare. 

Use tools like screen agreements or digital literacy check-ins to promote reflection, not restriction. 

 

6. Create a Safe Space to Speak Up 

One of the most powerful protections you can offer is an open-door culture at home. Teens need to know they can talk about what they see, feel, or regret online, without fear of punishment or shame. By normalising conversations around digital stress, peer pressure, and mistakes, you give them the confidence to come to you when it really matters. Make it clear: you’re not here to monitor, you’re here to mentor. As an example, make short car rides device-free so you can talk. 

 

7. Focus on Offline Self-Worth 

Helping your teens build a solid sense of identity before they re-enter social platforms at 16 is a massive parenting win. Invest time in: 

  • Offline activities that grow confidence, creativity, and purpose

  • Encouraging hobbies, peer circles, and community spaces where they feel valued 

  • Conversations that centre on who they are, not how they’re perceived 

The stronger their internal compass, the less sway external validation will have when they return to online life.

 

Support for Neurodivergent Teens 

Neurodivergent young people, such as those with autism, ADHD, or sensory processing differences, often form deep attachments to online spaces that feel safe, structured, or interest aligned. Losing access can feel disorienting, even threatening to their sense of routine or identity.  Support them by: 

  • Pre-warning about possible platform changes well in advance, using clear, non-alarmist language. 

  • Recreate social scenarios offline to rehearse conversations, rebuild friendships, or name emotions they might otherwise bottle up. 

  • Providing structured alternatives: joining a moderated fan community, a special-interest newsletter, or a safe online space with inclusive norms. 

  • Using visual or written planners to help them track online/offline activities. 

  • Respecting that online friendships are real friendships to them, even if you don’t always recognise the format. 

Affirming their need for connection, predictability, and control will ease the transition and build trust for future digital decisions. 

 

Watch for Emotional Withdrawal or Shame 

Losing access can feel like exclusion, rejection, or punishment. Be alert to: 

  • Sudden withdrawal or anxiety 

  • Mood changes linked to online disconnection 

  • Feelings of being “left behind” or “cut off” 

  • Respond with empathy, not panic. Remind them this is about age, not failure and that you’re on their team.

Alexandros Sinadinos                                                                    Robert Simpson

Director of Middle School                                                               Director of Senior School